Archives and Rare Books

A Goddess for the Renaissance

One of the distinguishing features of early modern Europe is its fascination with and embrace of the Greco-Roman past. While this is perhaps most obvious in the literary and visual arts—think of the many new editions of classical works such as Ovid’s Metamorphoses, or paintings such as Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus—medicine was equally enamored  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Color Our Collections 2024

From February 5-9, 2024, libraries, archives and other cultural institutions around the world are sharing free coloring sheets and books based on materials from their collections. On the first floor of Becker Library, you’ll find snacks, coloring books and materials, so let your inner child take over! Read on to learn more about the images chosen from Becker’s rare  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Travel Scholarships Available for Archives and Rare Books Collections Use

Bernard Becker Medical Library is fortunate to have robust collections in archives and rare books that document the history of medicine from the late 15th century up to the present. Subjects in which the library’s holdings are particularly strong include ophthalmology and optics, neurology, deaf education and the history of dentistry. To encourage researchers living  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini

Nobel laureate Rita Levi-Montalcini was born in Turin on the 22nd of April 1909. She was one of 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy, born to Adamo Levi, a gifted mathematician, and Adele Montalcini, a skilled painter. While both parents were considered highly cultured and had a strong appreciation for intellectual pursuits, certain educational  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

“There is no health equivalent of ARPA”: Biomedical Computing during the Cold War

In February 1974, Dr. Jerome Cox, Jr., gave a speech at his alma mater, MIT, which asked, “Why Don’t We Have a Medical-Industrial Complex”? While the use of technology in medicine had certainly progressed since the 1950s, he suggested “a gap exists between expectations and accomplishments,” noting “[t]hings haven’t moved as they have in the  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

“Should Old Acquaintances Be Forgot?”

What makes a good memory? How about a good meal? For members of the Washington University medical center who served with Base Hospital 21 during the First World War, special dinners were an important part of maintaining morale for the unit’s doctors, nurses, and enlisted men who were often overwhelmed with the wounded soldiers streaming  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Todtentanz – The Early Modern Dance of Death

Modern medical texts tend to be straightforward in their content, presenting the necessary information without artistic embellishment. Their medieval and early modern counterparts, however, made ample use of visual allegory. We’ve already talked about several famous examples, such as Vesalius’s evocation of classical statuary and the various Greco-Roman deities tucked into frontispieces, but today we’re  [Read more]

1 2 3 19